One For All
by Azure Lightning Emerald Cloud
Summary: In Damocles Parts 1&2, Octavia is Damocles, and the King from the myth is Commander Madi. This story is about Madi bonding with Octavia and others during/post finale. This will be Madi and Octavia centric, but plenty of everyone else as well. Damocles walks away from power after realizing it means the sword will always be waiting above his head.
1. Implications of the Flame

Heavy is the Head that Rests Beneath the Sword of Damocles

CHAPTER 1

There was a girl kneeling in the dirt, arms out, in acceptance of her death while her comrades obviously used the distraction to carry one of the wounded to safety. They weren't moving fast enough to make the sacrifice worth it. As the blaze of the turret illuminated the scene, Madi gasped. The person dying for the others was _Blodreina_ herself. The hero the world needed, but hated. ' _Omon gon oson.'_ Or put another way, 'One for all'.

The car screeched to a stop, Echo shouted at Octavia to get in. Seconds later, they were out of immediate danger.

Indra was trying to keep her daughter from slipping away; _Spacekru_ was pretty calm, except Echo. She seemed to be fidgeting. Madi only needed a brief backwards glance to see why.

Octavia was looking at her, staring at her really. Madi turned back to the road so they didn't crash. Clarke would never let her hear the end of it if she–NO.

Madi shook her head. She couldn't think of her mom right now. Commanders invading her dreams or no, if she allowed herself to think too hard about exactly how unlikely it was that Clarke was gonna make it–STOP IT _BRANWADA._

With a huff, Madi returned her attention to the road ahead. There was a bump in the road, jostling Gaia uncomfortably. Madi didn't see it, but the resulting shriek of pain was enough to ease some of Madi's nerves. Gaia was still alive. The silence was beginning to become oppressive after Gaia's brief bout of agony. So naturally, John Murphy casually asked an inappropriate and uncomfortable question, "So, if you've got Lexa in your head, that must've made things a little awkward with Clarke being your mom huh?"

"Awkward?" Madi responded, not entirely paying attention to the _Spacekru_ man. Driving was after all the more important priority.

Emory pinched the bridge of her nose while Octavia's seemingly unwavering gaze was still locked on the little of Madi she could see from her seat.

"You know," Murphy continued, "because they fuc–,"

"If you finish that sentence I'll break your nose, Murphy," Echo growled.

Madi didn't respond for a long moment. Echo was between shooting murderous glances at Murphy, and more softly giving Madi a look the thirteen-year-old a look she wasn't sure what to make of.

"Lexa has been most _present_ of the commanders. She's very loud, and disappointed; especially since Clarke chose the wrong side." Madi confessed. Murphy's comment went entirely unacknowledged.

"Wrong side?" Octavia asked hoarsely. Everyone except Madi turned to look at Octavia. It was the first interaction she'd had with the girl since she ascended. It was the first thing she said since she basically committed suicide for her loved ones not ten minutes ago. And nobody knew how to deal with her now.

"She should've supported you," Madi spoke to Octavia bluntly. Nobody was ready for that. "Everyone says that you were _different_ after the bunker. Clarke physically pulled me aside and warned me that you weren't the Octavia who was my favourite from the years of stories she told me growing up." Octavia shifted uncomfortably. "At first, I believed her. You were still cool and all, but also really scary. But then Bellamy and Gaia put this in my head."

At this point even Indra is paying attention. "Do you regret it?" Bellamy asked. Madi scoffs, but doesn't say anymore until they can see the camp.

As the car starts slowing down, Madi says grimly, "When we entered the control room, Dante said that he bore it, so that his people wouldn't have to. If you can't acknowledge that Octavia's choices are anything but a mirror of the horrors fate have dealt her, than you don't deserve her as your sister."

Before anybody could process the _terrifying_ implications of Madi having _Clarke's_ memories, the car stops. And they spring into action trying to save Gaia.

Everybody stops what they're doing when the would-be Commander and humanity's eagerly hated saviour both exit the car.

Octavia immediately approaches the young Commander. She looks up at the girl barely ten years her senior as she's blocked from approaching. Lexa chooses this moment to remind her to have a little faith, "I said, _let her pass_ ," and Octavia approaches.

Madi looks into her eyes, and everything in Octavia just _breaks_ , and so she sinks to her knees, abdicating the responsibility of humanity to a girl who hadn't even menstruated yet.

Madi looked around, the horror of everything nearly caught up to her, but Madi stowed her worries for another day; there was a war to win.

It was daylight, and Gaia had woken up, and despite the pain, she was still willing to do her duty.

Madi closed her eyes as the world raged around her.

Being in the medical tent was horrible. there was whimpering and prayers offered to her as she passed by each bed to go to her Fleimkepa. To think, she would've murdered Gaia given the chance if they had met six years ago.

Gaia laid there, her leg nearly ruined, calmly doing her job. Fleimkepa indeed. If Lexa's death wasn't something she'd felt like she'd literally _lived_ though, she'd be impressed with the institution. But as it was, Gaia's strength and wisdom came from _Gaia_ , and Indra, and in some ways probably Octavia. Not the _Order of the Flame_ who came before her.

Gaia showed her how to directly ask the commanders for help. To call upon their knowledge. It wasn't much, just a keen observation by a commander three generations ago about the exploding sonic weapons, and how they could devastate the enemy's advantage. But it was a start, because as Madi opened her eyes, she _felt_ a warm smile, and knew that Lexa was proud of her.

Gaia handed her Lexa's Helm of Awe. Madi steeled herself for this day as she walked out of the tent, flanked by the Blake siblings and Indra. As she looked out upon _her_ army, the teenager muttered to herself, "So it begins."


	2. Heavy is the Head

CHAPTER 2

The walk back into the gorge was a sombre one. The dead people nearest the camp were clearly trying to flee to safety, and shot or blown up from the back. And there were so many of them. Madi and Octavia had separated from the pack, walking ahead of the rest.

The phrase and meditation Gaia taught Madi seemed to have done more than just gather together a risky a battle strategy. It also allowed the Commanders to share memories in waking moments opposed to the deluge of horrors they heaped on her in the dreams following her ascension. The fact the treated the Flame like technology, Allie 2.0, also seemed to open up new avenues of connection to the past, unlike the past Commanders, with the exception of Clarke during the final fight against Allie 1.0.

Octavia briefly turned her head to check they had privacy before softly rasping, "I'm sorry. I must've turned out to be a real disappointment to you huh? I tried to have you killed after Gaia and Bellamy put the Commanders in your head."

"Do you remember when the Mountain Men dropped a missile on TonDC?" Madi asked tenderly.

Octavia was taken aback at Madi's reply, but nodded slowly. "Of course I do."

Madi took a deep breath, "When you figured out that Clarke and Lexa had prior knowledge, that put you in a very dangerous position," Madi continued a little more quickly.

The corpses around them were becoming closer and closer together, they were nearing the place they'd need to stop marching.

"What does TonDC's demise have to do with now? It's all ashes now anyway." Octavia spoke in a horrible hollow sort of way. Madi realised with an emotional punch to the gut that she had just heaped another bout of loss on the girl walking next to her.

Madi decided to push through, Octavia needed some sort of validation. "Your order to kill me was really just evening things out between us. Lexa ordered your death when she learned that you knew. Clarke stopped the assassin, and furiously confronted Lexa about it."

Octavia's eyebrows rose at this new information, but she knew it was a well meaning, but hollow gesture. "I ordered the death of a _child_ , Madi. Even if Lexa's actions and kill orders were yours to claim, I'll never be absolved of mine."

Blodreina made to walk ahead of Madi, to get out of this conversation, but the little Commander swiftly but lightly caught her arm. When their eyes met, Madi said in a voice that even Octavia couldn't just shrug off, "My existence divided _Wonkru_ , I understand why you considered me your enemy. You lost Gaia's loyalty when I showed up, and that was the beginning of their coup. I took the Flame to save Clarke, I never wanted to be at odds with you,"

"You're a child. You shouldn't have to think of all these different angles and be embroiled in a power struggle. But that didn't stop me from threatening you in front of Clarke by making you my second," Octavia's voice was full of self-loathing. Madi might be a kid, but she had heard that tone from Clark's mouth so many times and knew what it meant.

"I forgive you. I could say it as _Heda_. But as _me, as Madi_ , I forgive you."

"Why?" Octavia asked, tears beginning to form despite her best attempts to cut off the prickling feeling behind her eyes.

Madi shrugged, "Because every one of the Commanders in my head would've put a kill order on me were they in your position right then, even Clarke."

"She's in your head too?" Octavia asked after restraining herself from questioning Madi's insinuation about Clarke being a child-killer.

"Yes. From when she drained Ontari and defeated Allie 1.0," Madi replied. "Don't tell anyone, but it's exactly as awkward as you'd think. Clarke and Lexa had sex right before Lexa died. I _literally lived that happening._ " Madi was blushing from embarrassment despite herself.

Octavia let out a dark chuckle. "Savour those memories that bring beauty into the world, kid. Your _Hedas'_ memories may be the only place in this world that beauty still exists." Madi's brows furrowed in concern at that, but before she could reply, Octavia continued, "I was seventeen when I became _Heda_. And right now, one of the reasons I'm glad I'm red-blooded is so that there isn't a chance that you or anyone else can live my memories. Nobody should have to suffer like that, especially not a thirteen-year-old, trust me on that."

Madi nodded, her expression becoming uncharacteristically dark, "Becca Pramheda was burnt at the stake. Sylvie, the seventh Commander, was _violated_ before she was dismembered, and there were other _Hedas_ who were rapists and warmongers themselves. Those are things I've _been_ through, or _done_ , so I don't know if forcing cannibalism with no other options is that much worse, Octavia."

Octavia stopped and fully turned to the young commander in horror. If they got through this, Bellamy and Gaia would _answer_ for inflicting this on a _CHILD_. "Can I hug you?" Octavia's request was as unexpected as it was poignant. Madi obliged.

While their hug was a little awkward and brief, Madi asked, "Please don't tell Clarke about the dark stuff I just told you. She'd burn the world down to get the Flame out of me if she knew. And the world _needs_ a Commander." Octavia nodded and released the young girl, who trudged ahead.

In the light of day, Madi could confirm that hundreds died in the canyon. There were so many bodies. Walking at the front of the army, Octavia was still by her side. That changed when _Blodreina_ stopped by one of the corpses and knelt down.

It was Ethan. Octavia's ward.

The others were too far back to see the tears that ran down _Blodreina's_ face, but Madi did.

Clarke did this.

Octavia did this.

Diyoza did this.

Kane did this.

No. This was McCreary, and _jus drein jus daun_ would have its day again.


End file.
